Birdman's Genre:

Southern Rap, Rap, Dirty South

Biography

When he's doing business, Cash Money Records CEO Bryan Williams uses his real name, but when he grabs the mike to spit Dirty South raps, Williams goes by the names Birdman or Baby. Williams formed Cash Money in 1991 with his brother Ronald "Slim" Williams. Releases by B.G., the Hot Boys, Juvenile, and many others built the Cash Money empire into a Dirty South powerhouse. Williams himself displayed his vocal skills on the Hot Boys albums, but it was with Cash Money's in-house producer, Mannie Fresh, that he really made his mark. The two formed the group Big Tymers in 1997 and made of series of albums that became Dirty South favorites. He broke out on his own with Baby aka the #1 Stunna in 2002. After the album's release, he oversaw an urban footwear collection for the Lugz company, narrated the video game Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition, and appeared in the 2005 movie Beauty Shop. Three years after his solo debut, Birdman released his second solo album, Fast Money. In 2006 he teamed with his "surrogate son," Lil Wayne, for Like Father, Like Son. In 2011 the single “I Get Money” announced the coming of that year’s solo album, Bigga Than Life. ~ David Jeffries

AOL Radio Stations Birdman is Featured on (10)

Lil Wayne was nine years old when he was signed to Cash Money Records in his hometown of New Orleans. He’s gone on to have a hugely successful career, both as an artist and as the CEO of his own imprint, Young Money Entertainment-- he can even count President Barack Obama as a fan. These are Lil Wayne’s biggest hits and deep cuts, along with songs from his influences, collaborators, and artists he’s discovered.

From his role as Jimmy on Degrassi: The Next Generation to his self-released mixtapes to his current status as a breakout star of Lil Wayne’s Young Money crew, Drake’s career path has been diverse and full of surprises. In celebration, we've put together a station full of your favorite Drake songs using what we call the Engagement Quotient, or “E.Q.,” which adds up plays, favorites, skips and bans to get this definitive countdown. It’s the Drake Top 33.

On paper, Drake sounds like a very unlikely hip-hop star. Born Aubrey Drake Graham to a Jewish family in suburban Toronto in 1986, Drake was as a successful actor on the TV series, ‘Degrassi: The Next Generation.’ After releasing mixtapes that caught the attention of Lil Wayne, Drake’s career only blew up from there. These are Drake’s biggest hits and deep cuts, along with songs from his influences, collaborators -- and even a very famous girlfriend. This is Drake: DNA.

Slacker sat down with pop superstar Jason Derulo to create a radio station comprised of his favorite artists, from Missy Elliott and Michael Jackson to Madonna and Daft Punk. Check out this exclusive look into what makes Jason Derulo tick. It's "I Am the DJ" on Slacker.

Jay Z is not only one of the most successful artists and entrepreneurs in the country, he’s also friends with President Obama, who says: "Every time I talk to Jay-Z, who is a brilliant talent and a good guy, I enjoy how he thinks. That's somebody who is going to start branching out and can help shape attitudes in a real positive way." Friends with the President, married to Beyonce AND a hip hop legend? It’s definitely worth taking a look at makes Jay Z tick. These are his biggest hits and deep cuts, along with songs from his influences, collaborators and peers.

Masters of Hip Hop is the ultimate collection of the most important artists in the genre. Our curators have loaded it up with every pivotal artists currently in the game--with a healthy dose of the legendary MCs that got the whole ball rolling.

Hip Hop not only represents a genre of music, but a social culture. It’s the collective talent of all the artists that have made it what it is today. On Hip Hop you’ll hear deeper album cuts as well as the hits, including Jay-Z, Run DMC, Kanye West, Notorious B.I.G and Common. The evolution of Hip Hop is here.

Press play to hear the beats, rhythms and undeniable flow of some of hip hop's biggest names. From Lil Wayne to Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West to 50 Cent, all your favorite hip hop superstars are here. Hip hop is always evolving, and with Hip Hop Hits, you can stay ahead of the pack.

Artists Related to Birdman (10)

A game-changing artist and celebrity, Lil Wayne began his career as a near-novelty -- a preteen delivering hardcore hip-hop -- but through years of maturation and reinventing the mixtape game, he developed into a million-selling rapper with a massive body of work, one so inventive and cunning that it makes his famous claim of being the "best rapper alive" worth considering.

When the Dirty South movement broke nationwide at the turn of the century, Ludacris rode it to immediate widespread popularity, becoming arguably the most commercially successful Southern rapper of the time.

Second perhaps only to Kanye West, Drake was a cross-platform cultural phenomenon in the 2010s. He became a musical force only a few short years after he turned to rapping in 2006, whether on his own chart-topping releases or his highly sought-after guest appearances on other musicians' songs.

The year 2005 was like yin and yang for Atlanta bling rapper Gucci Mane. He enjoyed success entering the charts with his first national hit, "Icy," became involved in a quarrel with that song's collaborator, Young Jeezy, and found himself facing murder charges in the Georgia courts.